


Madness. Master

by Vazrtre



Category: Noblesse (Manhwa)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-05-14 06:28:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14764373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vazrtre/pseuds/Vazrtre
Summary: 800 years of his master's absence take a toll on Frankenstein's mind. When Rai awakens from his hibernation, he finds Frankenstein in no condition to help him acclimatize to the modern world.





	1. Chapter 1

“Master! Where are you?” A man stumbled down the white-tiled hallway, long blonde hair cascading over his shoulders. His arms reached out in supplication, tears streaming down his face. “Don’t leave me, Master!”

 

“Mr. Lee!” A voice scolded. “What are you doing up and about?” A stern looking woman bustled down the corridor. She grabbed him by the shoulders and gently steered him in the opposite direction. “You could have hurt yourself.”

 

The blonde stared at her with blank blue eyes. “Have you seen Master?”

 

The woman patted him on the shoulder. “No, I have not. Why don’t we go wait in your room?”

 

He twisted his head to stare over his shoulder, deaf to her words. “He left to fight the wolf lord, but he didn’t come back.”

 

“Mr. Lee. It is time to return to your room.”

 

The man seemed to notice her for the first time. “Frankenstein.” He looked at her seriously. “My name is Frankenstein. That is who Master will be looking for, so I need to be Frankenstein so he can find me.”

 

The nurse sighed. “All right Frankenstein. Let’s get off to bed now.”

 

Frankenstein smiled.

 

-Noblesse-

 

 In an apartment building across the city, a coffin hissed open. From it rose a young looking man who strode to the window and gazed out at the city swathed in darkness.

 

He flicked his hand and the balcony doors slid open. He stepped out onto the balcony and felt the breeze and smelled the unfamiliar scents of the city. It was strange. How long had he slept for humans to have advanced this far? He didn’t know. What to do? He could try to find his way back to Lukedonia. It would take a while if he even could. Would Frankenstein be there waiting for him?

 

His stomach fluttered slightly in anxiety. Was Frankenstein even alive? He reached out along the bond between them trying to determine his loyal servant’s well-being. He felt close by, remarkably so, definitely within the same city. He was alive, and physically healthy, but mentally…he couldn’t establish a telepathic connection. Something was wrong.

 

He stepped up onto the balcony railing and lept off into the night.

 

He jumped from building to building, following the ghostly cobweb on the link. It drew him to a large building on the edge of the city. There was a big sign in the front, presumably declared the function of the building, but he couldn’t read it. There was also a large fence around the entire property.

 

He leaped over the metal fence and approached the building. He tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t open. His hand twitched and something crunched and the door swung slowly open. The hallways were silent and dark as he walked towards where he felt Frankenstein was. He turned the corner and came face to face with a large human.

 

The human jumped, then drew a big stick from his belt and demanded something angrily. Not understanding, he just looked at him.

 

-Noblesse-

 

Sean was quite bored as he paced down the silent hallway. Nothing interesting even really happened during the night shift, except the occasional screaming. At first that had frightened him out of his wits, but now it was just annoying, especially because he had to run to make sure it was just one of the patients, not a murder or something.

 

Immersed in his thoughts, he jumped in surprise as a teenager turned the corner in front of him. He yanked his baton from his belt and demanded, “What are you doing in here?”

 

The kid didn’t answer, just sort of stared at him blankly. He waved his hand in front of his face. “Hey, who are you, kid?” No reaction.

 

This was weird, Sean thought. The kid didn’t look like he understood a word he said. Was he a patient who had gotten out of his room? He wasn’t dressed like one, but still, there was a nurse on duty, better to ask and make sure.

 

“Come with me.” He beckoned at the kid and started to walk away. He looked back after a couple of steps and saw him following silently. Strange kid.

 

He walked down to the nurse’s station, where Nurse Masters sat doing some paperwork. “Hey, Nurse Masters,” she looked up at him. He moved to one side so she could see his quiet shadow. “is this one of your patients?”

 

The nurse frowned at him. “No. What is he doing here?”

 

Sean rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. “Dunno. Found him wandering the halls, he doesn’t seem to understand anything I say to him. He hasn’t said a word either.”

 

Nurse Masters looked as confused as Sean felt. She looked at the kid and asked him, “Can you understand me?”

The kid didn’t answer. Just as she was about to ask another question, he opened his mouth and asked, “Frankenstein?”

 

Nurse Masters couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This kid appeared in the middle of the night and didn’t speak a word, but to now ask for a patient by a name he had given himself in his delusion.

 

Before she could respond, they heard an echoing bang of a reinforced door being flung open. Shortly after they could hear the sound of running feet coming closer. Then Mr. Lee appeared, sprinting around the corner, only to skid to a stop at the sight of the kid. His eyes widened and his face grew pale, as his body went rigid. “Master?” he whispered tremulously.

 

The kid turned around and looked at him. “Frankenstein.” He greeted softly. That was all the man needed, he flung himself to his knees in front of the kid, wrapped his arms around the kid’s legs, and bawled into his thighs.

 

Sean and the nurse were struck silent. They flinched backward as the kid turned to look at them. He waved his hand and they dropped to the floor unconscious.

 

-Noblesse-

 

Frankenstein clung to his master, scarcely believing his presence. He was aware that he was crying, an unseemly display in front of his master, but he couldn’t seem to stop.

 

He felt his master’s hand come down to pat him gently on the shoulder, and reluctantly untangle his arms from his master’s body, and looked up, his face still wet with tears. It had been so many long years, so many centuries since he had seen his master. There had been a gaping void on the other end of the link that they had shared, an emptiness that had eaten away at him. Now, for the first time in over eight hundred years, the emptiness was gone, and he was whole.

 

Master looked down at him with concern and he swallowed self-consciously. He must look pathetic. Frankenstein felt a well of shame and dropped his eyes. He was a wreck; he was useless to his master.

 

He felt fingers under his chin tilt his face up. Reluctantly he looked up into Master’s eyes. “It’s alright.” His master soothed. “We are together again, and shall not be parted.”

 

Frankenstein’s muscles relaxed at the words. His master never lied. He got to his feet and gave his master a small smile tugging anxiously at the ends of his sleeves.

 

His master smiled back, then turned and walked away. “Come, Frankenstein.”

 

Frankenstein startled, then took a few quick steps to catch up to his master. He reached out and took hold of Master’s sleeve. Master said nothing and led them out of the hospital, together.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Once outside, Frankenstein took a deep breath of the cool night air, feeling the wind on his skin for the first time in months. His fingers tightened unconsciously in his master’s sleeve.

 

A slim white hand rested over his fingers briefly, before they moved further out into the city. Frankenstein felt warmth swelling in his heart as tears began to prickle behind his eyes. He blinked swiftly to chase them away.

 

Frankenstein had not seen the city in such a long time, but he couldn’t bring himself to tear his eyes away from his master for fear he would disappear once more.

 

They walked through the empty streets quietly, Frankenstein’s master leading. Frankenstein was content to trail just behind him, hand still grasping his sleeve, keeping the slight figure of his master before his eyes. However, as his master paused, Frankenstein saw the hospital just ahead of them.

 

“Master?” he asked nervously. His master hummed. “Are we lost?” His master didn’t respond. He knew that his master had a bad sense of direction. Maybe he could be of some use. His heart lept at the thought. “Where are we going, Master?”

 

Master glanced back at him. “To my resting place. Where I woke from it.”

 

Frankenstein drooped. He had no idea where that could be. Before he would have been able to trace the remnants of his master’s power through the link, but now… Then he blinked and turned to stare into his master’s questioning gaze. He was here! Frankenstein was no longer alone, no longer one end of a one-sided bond. Frankenstein beamed. He concentrated, reaching out with his consciousness down the link between him and his master, trying to suppress the lingering terror that there would be nothing there.

 

His fears were unfounded though, as his master’s power loomed large and brilliant on the other end. Frankenstein pulled away after allowing himself to bask in the feeling of being in the presence of so much power. He traced the path of his master’s presence back to the origin point. He’d found it! Frankenstein felt a rush of happiness at his success. He wasn’t totally useless to his master after all.

 

“I found it, master.” His master nodded, clearly waiting for him to lead the way. Frankenstein took a step forward, then stopped, paralyzed with indecision. He couldn’t lead his master around by his sleeve, no matter that it was for his peace of mind. It just wasn’t proper. After a moment, he managed to force his fingers to relinquish their grasp on the fabric. Frankenstein took a deep breath, swaying in place.

 

He blinked, then turned to lead the way. He hadn’t gotten more than a couple of steps before panic overtook him and he whirled around to face his master. He heaved in a desperate sobbing breath at the evidence of his master’s continued presence. He wrapped his arms around himself and tried to take deep breaths to regain his composure.

 

“Frankenstein.” A slim hand appeared before his eyes. Frankenstein looked up at his master and saw the concern etched deep in his gaze. He clenched his hands tightly around his arms as he stared incredulously at what his master was offering him. After a long pause, Master seemed to sense his mental paralysis and the hand reached toward his own. Frankenstein hesitantly reached up and grasped in his own trembling hand, then stared at their intertwined hands disbelievingly. “It’s alright.” His master promised in his soft voice. Frankenstein breathed out in relief. His master never lied.

 

Tightening his grip just slightly, Frankenstein led the way towards the current location of his master's resting place, ever aware of Master ghosting along a half step behind him, one cold delicate hand in his.

 

The first rays of the sun were just hitting the tips of the skyscrapers when they arrived back at the apartment building where the Noblesse had awakened. They jumped up to the balcony and entered the room.

 


	3. Chapter 3

The assignment had been fairly easy up until that point. The artifact had been secured and the lowlife scum been eager to sell it to them, not that they would have paid him once they got their hands on it. But then they walked into the room and the coffin had been opened and it was fucking empty.

M-21 swore and stalked over to the coffin, ignored the thug babbling excuses behind him. He knelt down next to the artifact and ran a hand along the bottom of it. Behind him he heard M-24 moving about the room, checking to make sure that the contents hadn’t been hidden away in some shadowy corner. 

Glancing up, M-21 saw that the door to the balcony was ajar. He moved to it and looked out, but nothing was out of the ordinary. He cursed again and turned to his partner, “Whatever it was, it’s long gone now.”

M-24 shrugged, “Yeah. No chance of finding it.”

M-21 growled. “Couldn’t those stupid union jerks at least have told us what was inside? It would have made this so much easier.”  
M-24 gave him a lop-sided grin. “Course, not. Couldn’t have two rejects knowing anything.”

His friend snorted and rolled his eyes. “Of course.”

With a sigh, M-21 turned to question the scumbag, but he was no longer there. “Great.” He glared accusingly at the empty doorway. “Just great.”

M-24 glanced up. “We need him.”

“Yeah, I know. He can’t have gotten far.” M-21 stalked out of the apartment, M-24 following in his wake. 

-Noblesse-

They touched down on the balcony gently. Frankenstein hesitated, biting his lip. Was this the right place? He couldn’t bear it if it wasn’t. His master would know that he wasn’t useful any longer, but he couldn’t keep his master waiting on the balcony either…

After a few fraught moments of indecision, his master decided for him, stepping into the apartment. Frankenstein followed, still clinging to the solid presence of his master’s hand in his. 

The coffin was there.

Frankenstein felt dizzy as adrenaline left his system in a rush and he swayed on his feet. As he steadied himself, he caught his master’s concerned gaze and looked away, a well of shame filling him. He couldn’t be weak before his master, he had to be strong, to be useful!

“Frankenstein.” His master said interrupting the rapid swirl of fears and anxieties competing for dominance in his skull. “Good job.”

Frankenstein swelled up with happiness and pride under his master’s praise. His master was so kind.

The light feeling in his chest started to fade as he noticed the state of the apartment. The confirmed presence of the coffin had consumed all of his attention, but now he couldn’t help but notice the lack of furniture, the dust, the dirt, and the sheer unsuitability of this hovel to house his kind dignified master. 

He could not allow it.

He would not allow it.

Frankenstein moved forward, intent on whipping the place into a state that befit the residence of his master but halted suddenly at the feeling of his master’s hand in his. His master had honored him by allowing the contact. Dare he disregard such a gift by pulling away? His heart revolted at the notion, but still, the dirt around them, around his master, gnawed at him. 

Frozen by the conflicting emotions and desires eating him from the inside out, Frankenstein starred down at their intertwined hands.

“It’s alright.”

Frankenstein jerked up to meet the kind eyes of his master. “I understand.”

His master slipped his hand free of their embrace. Frankenstein felt a sharp pain at the loss. He felt untethered, adrift. He dithered for a moment, at loose ends, but pulled himself together and attacked the dirty cavern that was masquerading as an apartment.


End file.
